At Done Right Flooring & Cabinets, The Name Says It All!

Owner Jason Cantin of Done Right Flooring on W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa, has two decades of experience in the flooring industry, but still attends training at least twice a year to stay up-to-date on all the latest techniques and best practices in the industry.

In Jason Cantin’s two decades working in the flooring industry, he’s seen a lot of things go wrong.

In fact, for the past six years, he has worked as a flooring inspector. When someone says their floor is bad and wants the manufacturer or installer to fix it, they call Jason, as a first step toward filing a claim in court.

He says bad flooring installation is so prevalent in the industry that 85 percent of all floors being installed today are being installed incorrectly. He says that nearly every retailer out there is trying to sell more floors, and install them quickly, and move on to the next job, with little concern for whether or not your floor will last.

“Not every floor that is installed incorrectly fails,” he says, “but if you have carpet pulls in the doorway, or wrinkles in your carpet, or your floating floor creaks or makes noise, you have a bad install.”
So, he decided to do something about it.

He opened Done Right Flooring & Cabinets, selling the highest-quality flooring brands, installed in your home, to give people an alternative to the options available in the flooring market in Tampa.

Done Right sells hardwood, tile and laminate floors, as well as carpet, and also offers custom wood floors, in which every piece is hand cut, hand laid, sanded and finished in place.

In addition to selling flooring, Jason has a partner in the store who can help homeowners find the perfect cabinets, following the same philosophy of excellent products and installation that is the trademark of Done Right Flooring & Cabinets.

While Jason and his family live in New Tampa, he wanted to open his store in a location that was more central to all areas of Tampa. Done Right is located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave., 25-30 minutes south and west of New Tampa.

“I started Done Right because I’ve spent the last six years watching floors fail, and it’s taught me the process to do it right,” Jason says. “You can’t do it right and do it cheaply. Most subcontractors get paid by the foot, so they lay as much floor as possible, as quickly as possible, to get a bigger paycheck.”

Jason calls himself an idealist, and says he wants to elevate the entire flooring industry in Tampa, focusing on doing things the right way, so the consumer gets the best possible floor installation and floors they will be happy with for a long time.

“Most retailers give a one-year warranty, and then they’re off the hook,” Jason says. “I give a 5-year warranty, in writing, for all of my work.”

He says a well-installed, good-quality floor can be expected to last much longer.

His wife, Ashley, helps him with the business. “Our focus is on the customer,” she says. “Are they as happy with their floors one year, five years, even 20 years later, as they were when they got them?”

She says they also want to ensure that if you are selling your home, your floor will bring top value and the new owners will be happy with the floor, too.

Custom wood floors are a specialty of Done Right Flooring and Cabinets. You can see this one in person, along with the samples of Carlisle Wood Plank floors (hanging on the wall) at the store, located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa.

Quality Installations
Jason says they do this by hiring the best installers, who are certified by taking hands-on and written certification tests and are required to do ongoing continuing education. He adds, however, that this approach is not typical in the industry.

“There is no license needed to install wood floors in Hillsborough County,” explains Jason. “There is no recognized body to verify that the work done is correctly.”

In the absence of recognized standards and holding flooring companies accountable for installing floors correctly, Jason says he is doing all he can to change the industry, one consumer at a time.

Done Right recently replaced the floors for Scott Miller in his Bayshore Blvd. condo in South Tampa. Scott had just renovated his condo and was already having problems with his brand new floors, so he hired Jason for a consultation. “There were gaps, I could hear glue squishing and boards creaking,” Scott says. Because the floors were beyond repair, Scott then hired Done Right to do the floors again – this time, the right way.

“I was blown away every step of the way with his service,” says Scott of Jason. “After going through the first experience, there’s really no comparison. (He) took the time to do every step of the process correctly. (He) didn’t rush it.”

Scott says Jason’s knowledge was impressive, and that he took the time to educate him. “He knew about the trees the boards came from,” says Scott, “and explained the importance of prepping the floor and more.”

And, Scott notes that his new floor, purchased from and installed by Done Right, has none of the problems the first floor did.

“Our focus is on educating the consumer, so they pick the best product for them,” Jason says. “I’m not a salesperson, but more of a teacher.”

The Value Of Proper Training
Jason adds that he places a high value on education and keeping up-to-date on all of the latest information and trends in his industry. While prefinished floors are still popular, he says, custom finishing onsite is picking up, with wide flooring, grays and French oak some of the hotter trends.

“There’s no one else in town who’s gone to more school about flooring than me,” says Jason. “I go a minimum of twice a year.” He says he originally went to inspector school, not to become an inspector, but to become a better installer.

He is currently on the bamboo committee for the National Wood Flooring Association, writing the standards and regulations that will be put in place for bamboo floors. He says that right now, there are none.

While the industry doesn’t have to adhere to standards, Jason is doing everything he can to help his customers have expertly-installed products that utilize the best practices in the flooring industry.

“We have high expectations and high standards, and we ensure our installers continue to meet those expectations and standards,” he says. “I’m not a rush guy. The process is meticulous and takes time.”

While installation is important, the products are important, too.

“I know which products tend to fail, so I hand select the items we sell in the store,” says Jason. “If I don’t believe in the product, I won’t sell it, and I don’t install anything that’s not sold in the store.”

Jason’s standards are so high, Done Right was chosen as one of only seven retailers in the country that are authorized to sell Carlisle Wide Plank floors. He says that Carlisle is an American-made, premium cut of wood. “They trust me that I’ll do their product justice,” he says.

Done Right Flooring carries other brands as well, like Kahrs, Boen and Preverco, to name a few, and also has Mohawk, Glazzio and Akua tile flooring and Mohawk and Quickstep laminate flooring.

Ashley says that Jason’s many years of experience can really help consumers get exactly the right product for them and their home. At the store, Jason asks a lot of questions to get to know his clients and their lifestyle.

“In our Pinterest world, people see pictures of gorgeous floors, but they don’t know what they’re looking at,” says Ashley. “Flooring isn’t just about the color.”

“I want to improve the industry,” adds Jason. “I want consumers to get the right information. I may be idealistic, but I’ve learned so much about the industry, and I want to make it better for both consumers and installers.”

Done Right Flooring & Cabinets is located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave. It is open Tues.–Fri., 11 a.m.–6 p.m., 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. on Sat., and by appointment on Mon. For more information, call (813) 548-4484 or visit DoneRightFC.com.